Mike Tyson shared his insights on fear and how it relates to boxing in a recent podcast. The former heavyweight champion explained that fear is a natural part of the fighting experience, but what matters is how one deals with it:
“I have a relationship with my fear. My fear doesn’t dominate me.”
“I’m a fear-based person. My whole life is based off fear – fear of failing and fear of succeeding,” Tyson said. He went on to explain: “Everybody has the same feelings but it’s what the coward do that makes him a coward and what the hero doesn’t do that makes him the hero. But we all have the same feelings, just to control those feelings.”
Tyson emphasized that he has learned to develop a relationship with fear rather than being dominated by it. He credits his mentor with teaching him to understand the dynamics of fear, which helped him realize he wasn’t a coward for experiencing fear.
When asked about his upcoming fight with Jake Paul at age 58, Tyson brushed off concerns about age, stating: “Our man’s biggest downfall is to believe he has limitations and that’s what we do when we believe we’re a certain amount of age.”
The boxing legend also discussed how he uses psychedelic experiences to help put fights into perspective, saying the toad (5-MeO-DMT) “make the fight so small” in the grand scheme of things.
Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul is scheduled for November 15th in Arlington, Texas. Despite his age, Tyson expressed confidence in his preparation, stating: “I put in the work so I’m not really worried about anything.”
